Why theory matters: An examination of contemporary learning time reforms

This article explores the contemporary policy reform push to extend and expand learning time in schools. In light of the potential and continued prominence of learning time reforms in today’s national educational landscape, this article makes visible the ways in which theory matters for the near- an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEducation policy analysis archives Vol. 24; no. 44; pp. 44 - 69
Main Authors DiGiacomo, Daniela K., Prudhomme, Joshua J., Jones, Hannah R., Welner, Kevin G., Kirshner, Ben
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Colleges of Education at Arizona State University and the University of South Florida 04.04.2016
Arizona State University
Subjects
Case Studies
Colorado
Educational Change
Educational Policy
Equal Education
equity
Learning Theories
learning theory
learning time reforms
reform processes
Theory Practice Relationship
Time on Task
zone of mediation
Colorado
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Summary:This article explores the contemporary policy reform push to extend and expand learning time in schools. In light of the potential and continued prominence of learning time reforms in today’s national educational landscape, this article makes visible the ways in which theory matters for the near- and long-term success of equity-focused educational reforms. Using the recent enactment of learning time reforms in Colorado as an illustration, and the zone of mediation framework as a conceptual lens, this article demonstrates how such reforms are likely to be weakened and undermined without strong theoretical grounding.
ISSN:1068-2341
1068-2341
DOI:10.14507/epaa.24.2334